Scotch Malt Whisky Society Opens Cask Investment Club
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has created a special cask investment club that will allow whisky enthusiasts to invest directly in casks. The project will coincide with the countdown to its 50th anniversary with a whisky cask subscription open to the public. Whisky entrepreneurs and enthusiasts can participate and profit from a secure environment.
The announcement came at a time when the ASA is reporting that the cask investment sector is riddled with scams resulting in losses of over £3 million (US$3.8m). Unscrupulous businesses have been robbing the community blind with false offers and advertisements have made the ASA adjust its rules.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society0th Anniversary Cask Club
SMWS members will be able to track their whisky’s 10-year journey from cask to bottle through the 50th Anniversary Cask Club. Tasting samples will be sent throughout the decade, with the casks bottled at the SMWS’ 50th anniversary in 2033.
Whisky broker Blair Bowman said: “I’m very impressed with the SMWS’ 50th-anniversary cask club. What I really like about it is that this is all about the special experience and journey of owning your cask of whisky – I love the idea of having a ‘front row’ seat as the whisky matures over the next 10 years and sampling it along the way.
“This is the antithesis of ‘investing’ in a whisky cask and trying to make a profit from it. Whisky is made to be enjoyed and shared, ultimately, and that’s exactly what the society’s cask club is all about – and it’s a nice ‘full circle’ moment as it’s how the society started back in 1983 when Pip Hills and his friends clubbed together to buy a cask of whisky.
“It’s also very important for anyone considering owning a cask of whisky to buy it from a reputable organization and, with 40 years’ history, they don’t come much more credible and trustworthy than the SMWS.”
SMWS is selling casks from two distilleries for a price between £4,000 and £5,500. Each cask contains an invitation to the 50th anniversary party as well as a gift box, a certificate of ownership, a pipette, and a membership for one year.